And scars are souvenirs you never lose.

The past is never far.

Did you lose yourself somewhere out there?

Did you get to be a star?

And don't it make you sad to know that life is more than who we are?

- "Name" by The Goo Goo Dolls

Katara

I close my bedroom door and press my back to it. My heart is a hummingbird in my ribcage.

I just dropped Zuko off at the Jasmine Dragon and came home, and now that I'm here, the emotions of the day are rearing up and making themselves known. I close my eyes and behind my eyelids, I can still see Zuko's smoldering eyes. I can feel his hands on my waist and my fingers on his scar as though we never parted.

What am I thinking? I don't know. I don't know what's going through my head. My mind is a hurricane.

The distance between us has narrowed again, in those shared touches by the sea, with the mist of the waterfall coating our skin like gossamer. If we come any closer, I think we might fuse. I'll climb inside of him and settle in the space between his lungs.

I don't know what is happening. Our shared trauma has brought us closer together. It has nudged our budding friendship along faster than before, like adding fuel to a fire. I find comfort in him. And I think, maybe, he finds comfort in me.

This last week has been a whirlwind. I have spent hours in seclusion with Zuko, figuring him out and getting to know him, the smell of paint in the air as music plays softly from the speakers. Shared jokes and stories and smiles.

Spirits, he's so beautiful when he smiles.

I find shelter in him, but I shouldn't feel this way. My boyfriend will be here in less than two days. I should be finding shelter in him. Maybe I need to put some distance back between Zuko and I, but just the thought makes my heart seize painfully.

A knock on my door startles me. I jump away from it before I open it. Dad is standing on the other side. His eyes are sober and red-rimmed, and for a moment I feel guilty that I've been out for most of the day.

"You ran up here so quickly. I wanted to make sure everything is okay." He studies me, and I wonder if he can see right through my skin and see the turmoil in my heart. "Are you alright?"

As he's looking at me, I suddenly feel very small. I feel like I'm a child again, frightened, and I want nothing more than my father to wrap me in his strong arms and chase away all of my fears.

The tears come, fast and strong, and I shake my head.

"No, I'm not," I sob.

And then Dad takes me in his arms and he holds me, and I am a child again. I bury my face in his shoulder and let out all my tears, all of my pain and sadness and hurt, while he pets my hair and whispers soothingly in my ear.

When I pull away and look into his face, the hollows of his eyes are damp. He puts his hand on my shoulder and guides me to my bed. I collapse onto it, spent and exhausted. He sits down beside me and rubs my shoulder soothingly.

"It's just been so hard, Dad," I say through my hiccups. "With Mom, and now Toph and Aang. And Jet and Sokka are gone…"

"I know, snow pea. It's been a rough year. You've been through a lot."

I nod my head as I dry my cheeks on my sleeves.

"I don't know everything that happened between you and your friends, but I am sorry for it, Katara. It's never easy to lose friends, especially ones you've known for so long." Dad squeezes my shoulder. "But sometimes, people leave to make room for new ones."

I look up at him with a slight frown. "Are you talking about Zuko?"

"I might be." Dad shrugs, but there's a ghost of a smile on his lips. "He seems alright by me." He's looking through me again. "Is that where you've been all day?"

I look away and tuck my hair behind my ear. "Well, I went and visited Mom, too. I called Sokka." I shrug, feeling heat creep into my cheeks. "But yeah, that's where I've been."

"Yeah, I talked to Sokka a little bit earlier." Dad swallows hard. "He said you called him when you were...at the cemetery."

As far as I know, Dad hasn't been back to her grave, either. Maybe it's too painful for him. I don't know if I believe in soulmates, but if they do exist, it was Mom and Dad. I've never met anyone else who was so utterly in love.

"Yeah, he asked me to call him, since he couldn't be here."

Dad nods thoughtfully. He looks down at me. "Are you alright now?"

"Yeah, I think so." I let out a breath. "I think I'll take a shower and go to bed early."

Dad nods again. "Yeah, I think I'll go to bed early myself." He stands up slowly and heads for the door. He pauses there with his hand on the door frame. He looks at me. "Just think about what I said, okay?"

I know that he's talking about Zuko. I nod. "Okay, Dad. I will."

And he leaves me with even more to think about.

I wake up around midnight with a full bladder. I creep down the stairs, and find that Dad's bedroom door is open. That's strange. Dad's door is always closed.

The lights are off in the rest of the house, and, after relieving myself, I pad softly through the living room, through the laundry, and into the mud room.

The floorboards are numbingly cold beneath my feet, but I find what I'm looking for: the door to the sanctuary is cracked.

I push through it quietly so it doesn't squeak. The single bulb is on, and it illuminates the small, closet-like space. The door into the sanctuary is open, and I hear Dad's voice echoing through the room.

I creep up to the doorway and peek through it. Dad is illuminated by one of Mom's bright work lamps, sitting on the floor by Mom's last painting, the one that she never finished. Ironically, it's of a family of deer grazing in a meadow. I can see the bottle in his hand.

"Spirits, Kya, I hope I'm doing this right." Despite the half-empty bottle, his words aren't slurred. "I know the kids are grown up, but they still need me. Especially Katara. Our little girl has gone through so much. I try to help her, but sometimes I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. She's going through a lot with her friends, and she's still dating that guy. I want to talk to her about these things but sometimes I just don't know how to. It was always easier with Sokka." He sighs heavily. "I wish you were here. You were always so good with her You'd know what to do."

I feel like an intruder, and I back away silently, back through the mudroom and into the house. I don't stop until I'm back in bed. I think I might cry again, but I don't.

But my heart is pulling painfully in my chest, and I don't fall back asleep for a long while.

Zuko

I watch Katara drive off. When she turns down the road and out of my sight, I start up the stairs to the loft. I pause on the landing and rest my hands on the railing. The metal is smooth and cool beneath my hands, and it helps temper the fever running through me.

I keep replaying that moment over in my head. I'm not one for sappy romantic notions, but when she touched my scar, it was like the planets aligned.

The scar is a touchy subject. One, because of how I got it. For two, because of what it means. And three, because my self-esteem definitely took a hit from it.

I used to like the way I look. But with this scar marring nearly half of my face, I know I'm not easy on the eyes. Maybe that's why I've stayed with Mai for so long. She was there before, and she's been there for after, too. She's never really looked at me any differently because of it. But she never dared to touch it.

But when Katara looks at me, when she looks at my scar, she doesn't see some ugly thing. She sees a testament to my strength.

The sun is starting to set over the ocean, and I decide to stay outside and watch it. The clouds have thinned and I'm beginning to think that it isn't going to rain after all. The sun peeks through the breaks in the clouds, casting a golden glow on this sleepy little town. The undersides of the clouds are streaked with orange and pink, and it's peaceful.

At least, it's peaceful until my phone starts to vibrate in my pocket.

I pull it out and check the caller ID. I pull a sour face when I see Ty Lee is FaceTiming me. I'm not sure when my sister's friends became my friends, but sometimes I can do without it. But maybe it's important, so I answer it.

Ty Lee's cheerful face fills the screen, and when she sees me, she lights up in a smile. "Hi, Zuko!"

"What's up, Ty Lee?"

She twirls the end of her braid around her finger. "Oh, not a whole lot. I just thought I'd call and see what's up with you." She peers at me through the phone screen, frowning a bit. "Are you okay?"

I frown. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Because your aura...I can tell even through the phone that something is different about it." She cocks her head to the side, scrunching her eyes. "You're yellowy-orange."

It's probably just the sunset, but I humor her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're…" She purses her lips as she tries to describe it. I've never understood auras, and she always tries to explain it to me in a way that I'll understand. "It means you're confused about something."

I don't usually believe Ty Lee's mumbo jumbo about this kind of stuff, but it's a little uncanny how accurate she is sometimes. I can't let her know that though. The last thing I need is her running off to tell my sister or Mai.

I play it off. "Confused about what?"

"Your aura doesn't tell me that, silly!" Ty Lee laughs. "You have to figure that out."

I roll my eyes. "Thanks. It's nice to know I'm confused about something." Like I didn't already know I'm confused about my feelings for Katara.

"Sorry." Ty Lee shrugs. "I'm sure you'll figure it out though."

Yeah, I'll get right on that, I think. I clear my throat. "So, why were you calling?"

She smiles brightly. "I told you. I just wanted to see how you're doing. How's the coast?"

I narrow my eyes at her. Ty Lee doesn't have a malicious bone in her body. I doubt my sister or Mai has put her up to calling me, but I can never be too careful.

"It's fine. Cold and rainy, just like Seattle," I hedge.

"Yeah, but you're right there on the beach!" Ty Lee chirps. "That has to be amazing. You can go down to the water whenever you want."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. How can people who claim to be my friends not know that I hate the beach?

"Yeah, I guess that's nice."

Ty Lee beams at me. "How's Uncle Iroh doing?"

"He's fine. Enjoying his retirement." The words are bitter on my tongue, like black coffee. Because we all know that this retirement isn't exactly voluntary. He followed me into exile. "He's decided to open a tea shop."

Ty Lee is oblivious. "Oh, how exciting! We'll have to come down when you guys open!"

I don't need to ask who we is. She obviously means herself, Azula, and Mai. I don't think I want Mai to come down. I doubt she will anyway.

But it occurs to me that I can ask Ty Lee about Mai while I have her on the phone. She will tell me the truth no matter what, unlike my sister, who will tell me if it's convenient for her.

"Yeah," I say. "But I don't think Mai will want to come down. She's still pretty upset with me."

"Well…" Ty Lee shrugs. "Maybe it'll be good for both of you. Cathartic. You guys can finally figure things out."

"Maybe."

Ty Lee cocks her head again. "Is that what you're confused about? You're confused about Mai?"

I narrow my eyes again. I wonder if Azula told her about our conversation.

Ty Lee presses on. "I mean, it's okay to be confused. You guys have had this on-again, off-again thing for like, five years. And don't get me wrong, I love you both to bits, but that's a little toxic and it really murks up both of your auras." I arch my eyebrow, and she looks a little sheepish. "I've never said anything about it because you guys seemed okay with what you had going on, but maybe this...this separation is good for both of you. You guys can get some clarity."

"Do you really think that?" I ask her.

I think about my conversation with Azula. She wants me and Mai to make up so Mai quits being a problem for her. But Ty Lee is offering me something that benefits Mai and I and no one else. It's exactly what Uncle has been telling me for weeks.

"Yeah, I do." Ty Lee smiles. "You have this whole new opportunity to make something good, Zuko. Without the weight of anyone's expectations. I know this has been super hard. I can't even imagine what it's like for you. But…"

She trails off, and I see her face pinch like she isn't sure she should say what she's thinking. But her words have my heart thrumming in my chest and hope is welling up inside of me. When Uncle offers his advice, I think he's just looking out for me, which is good. But when Ty Lee tells me the honest truth, I know she means it and she's probably right.

"But?" I prompt.

Ty Lee takes a breath. "Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe this is your chance to start over and not have to cater to your dad. You can finally be yourself."

Her words echo in my brain long after we disconnect the call. I go to bed feeling better than I have in a long time. All this time I've been so angry. So angry with my father, and at myself. I've been looking at this exile like a punishment, because that's what my father intended it to be.

But when I think of Katara, with her ocean eyes and vanilla-and-cherry-blossoms scent, how she accepts me and doesn't recoil from my scar, I know that Ty Lee is right.

Here, in this tiny town on the coast, I can be me.

Katara

I hear the sound of tires crunching on gravel and an excited grin splits my face. I launch myself off of the couch and run to the front door, throwing it out of my way and leaving it ajar in my rush to get outside.

Jet's black Mazda is sitting by my Jetta, and Jet is just stepping out of it. I sprint down the stairs and throw my arms around Jet's neck before he's even shut the car door. He wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me off my feet.

When I pull back, he captures my lips in a fierce kiss. It tastes like longing and desire.

While his lips are on mine, I can almost forget the chasm that is growing between us. I can almost forget Zuko and our moment by the waterfall two days ago.

Almost.

Finally, Jet sets me back on the ground. He keeps one hand on the small of my back as we walk toward the house. Momo greets us, and Jet takes a moment to scratch behind his ears before we settle onto the couch.

"How was the drive?" I ask as I interlock our fingers.

"Traffic was a nightmare until I got on the 101." Jet rolls his eyes, his lips turning up in a lopsided smirk. "Springbreakers, I swear."

I chuckle. "Well, you're here and that's all that matters."

His fingers follow the length of my thigh and rest on my hip. His eyes are hungry. "So, your dad's at work?"

A hot pulse twitches between my legs. It's been a while since we've been together. "Yeah. He won't be home until this evening."

Jet closes the distance between us, maneuvering between my legs. He presses a kiss to the corner of my jaw.

"And your brother?"

When his teeth graze my earlobe, my breath hitches in my throat.

"He won't be here for a few hours."

"Mmm...so we've got the house to ourselves." He suckles the skin over my pulse. "What will we ever do to keep ourselves entertained?"

I knot my fingers in his flannel shirt. I try to keep my voice controlled, and somehow it's easier than I think it will be.

"I don't know...got any ideas?"

"I've got a few."

Jet scoops me up into his arms and stands up. He carries me up the stairs and to my bedroom, where we manage to keep ourselves entertained for a while.

Zuko

When I open my bedroom door and step out into the living room, the last person I expect to see sitting at the dining table with Uncle is my best friend.

"Rhett?" I rub the sleep from my eyes and blink at him. "What are you doing here?"

Rhett cracks a grin and gets up to bump my shoulder in greeting. "What do you think I'm doing here? I came down to see you."

"Yeah, but why?" I look past him to Uncle, who just shrugs his shoulders. I glance at the clock. "And at six in the morning?"

"What can I say? I missed your face." Rhett jostles me again. "Really, I just wanted to get out of the city and see what country living is like."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, sure."

"Rhett and I were just enjoying some tea, nephew," Iroh says, spreading his hands over the table. "Why don't you come join us?"

I do, mostly because I'm curious about why Rhett is really here. We've talked since I've been gone, but I'm surprised that he's here. And since he runs in the same circles I used to, circles that Azula still runs in, I'm a little leery, even if he is my best friend.

We catch up for a while. Uncle tells him about our progress with the coffee shop, and he regales us with tales from college and the social elite of Seattle.

Everything is going fine until Uncle mentions Katara.

Rhett turns to me, his eyebrows nearly to his hairline, and a grin splits his face. He draws her name out with a roguish curiosity. "Ka-tar-a, huh? Who's she?"

I scowl at him. "She's a friend."

"Is she a friend, or is she a friend?" He waggles his eyebrows at me devilishly.

Heat rises in my cheeks and I glare at my uncle, cursing him mentally for mentioning her.

"She's a friend," I grit out. "Just a friend."

Rhett nods his head in a knowing way, still smirking wolfishly. "Is she pretty?"

"Very pretty," Uncle supplies with a cheeky smile before I can say anything.

Rhett grins crookedly. "Hm, I think I'd like to meet her."

I feel like I'm being tag-teamed, and I don't appreciate it.

"Good luck with that. Her boyfriend is coming back from college today." Even I can hear the bitterness in my tone.

"Ohhhh, I get it. You've got the hots for someone you can't have." He sucks his teeth as if in disappointment.

I narrow my eyes at him. "I don't have the hots for her."

"Uh-huh."

I pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers and exhale hotly.

Rhett leans back in his seat, apparently satisfied with himself. "Alright, I'm starving. What is there to eat in this town?"

"You haven't tried Tiffanie's yet, nephew," Iroh says. He pats his rotund stomach. "I went earlier this week, while Zuko was busy with Katara—" Rhett shoots me a pointed look. "—and it's quite delicious. I recommend the omelettes."

I recognize the name from Katara's Facebook. She and her friends seem to eat there a lot.

I rake my hand down my face before I look at Rhett. "Do you want to go?"

"Sure, man."

I sigh and stand up. "Alright. Just let me throw some clothes on."

Twenty minutes later, we're pulling up outside of a diner called Tiffanie's. Rhett insisted on driving, and I feel more than a little ostentatious riding in his red Camaro. I'm sure that's why he did it, too. He's the son of a lucrative hedge fund manager, and he's never been afraid of throwing his wealth around.

He parks the car and we go inside. A waitress shows us to a booth and leaves us with two menus and ice water.

Rhett casts a look around. "Well, this is definitely a far cry from Seattle."

I snort. "You're telling me."

"How are you liking the small-town life? These hillbillies making you miss the city?"

I pull a face. I know it's a common stereotype for people from the city to believe, and I used to think the same, but it's not like that here at all.

"No, actually," I answer. "I like it here. It's quiet."

Rhett studies me for a moment. He takes a breath. "Alright, man. I gotta be honest. Mai asked me to come down here."

"Mai?" I can't help the look of surprise that creases my face.

"Yeah. She wanted to know if you were happy here."

I bark out a laugh. Oh man, this is rich. "So, she can't text me back but she'll send my best friend down here to check on me? That's great."

"Hey man, she might be upset, but she still cares about your stupid ass." Rhett spreads his hands. "I can't imagine why, though."

"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better."

Rhett shrugs. "What can I say? She's hurt."

"Yeah? Well, it's not like I had a choice, Rhett," I say hotly. "My father was determined to make my life miserable. I had two options: stick around and let my father destroy what's left of my life, or let my uncle bring me down here." I scowl down at the table. "You know how it was."

"Yeah, I do. That's why I'm not mad. But you know how girls are." I look up at him, and he shrugs again. "They're crazy."

I huff out a breath that's almost a laugh. He's got that right.

"So really, man." Rhett leans across the table toward me, studying me. "Are you happy?"

I look out the window. My thoughts drift back to Katara and the moment we shared on Friday. How it felt to hold her, to have her hand on my scar. I think about her boyfriend with his charming smile. I think about yesterday, just Katara and I in the tea shop, painting and talking about our mothers. I haven't talked about her that much in years. It was nice.

"I think so," I say at last.

Rhett nods as if I've just confirmed something. "Does that Katara girl have anything to do with it?"

"She's got everything to do with it," I say honestly.

"Sucks she has a boyfriend."

"Yeah," I say. "It does."